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Tutuala church

The tower of the small village church has a roof similar to a uma lulik, a native holy house that is also one of the national symbols.

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Listing from Wikivoyage: Tutuala, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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Ile Kére Kére and O Hi caves
These limestone caves have paintings that are estimated to be 2000-6000 years old, it hasn't been possible to confirm their age. The paintings show hunting scenes, animist symbols - turtles in particular, boats and handprints. The depicted boats are of Austronesian type so it's unclear if the creators have painted their own boats or boats they've seen passing by. There are also pictures of horses and other domestic animals that early settlers brought with them. Visiting the caves entail long walks in tropical heat and the paths are not signposted. Nevertheless you will be rewarded with great views of the sea and Jaco Island in addition to the cave experience.
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Lena Hara Cave
Further south from the former and along the road to the beach, discovered in 1963. In this cave there's a 10000 year old engraving depicting a human face and scientists have found evidence of the cave being inhabited about 30,000-35,000 years ago.
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Jerimalai cave
In 2006 scientists discovered remains of human inhabitation that are at least 42,000 years old. This discovery supports the theory that modern humans migrated to Australia through the Lesser Sunda Islands.
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Jaco Island and Valu Beach
Valu Beach with its white sands is a tropical dream, and the same goes for the beach at the adjacent Jaco Island. Jaco is a holy place that one formerly could not visit, nowadays fishermen can take you there for a few dollars. It's also possible to go fishing with them. The sea is excellent for snorkeling. Totems on Valu Beach reveal that this too is a holy place. Despite the fact that East Timor is a Catholic country, the native religion is still very much alive. This can also be seen on the local cemetery where many graves don't just have crosses but also buffalo skulls.